The departure of longtime captain Anders Lee left the New York Islanders with a vacancy atop their leadership group — but that is no longer the case as of Monday morning.

“The ‘C' belongs to Bo. Bo Horvat has been named Captain of the New York Islanders,” the organization posted on X, formerly Twitter.

The “C” belongs to Bo.

Bo Horvat has been named Captain of the New York Islanders. pic.twitter.com/X3GINPQvXG

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) September 14, 2026

Horvat is no stranger to captaincy, having assumed the honor with the Vancouver Canucks — the team that drafted him — before being traded to Long Island in 2023.

The 31-year-old will become the 16th captain in Islanders franchise history. Originally selected ninth overall by the Canucks in the 2013 NHL Draft, he wore the ‘C' in British Columbia from 2019-23.

Horvat has been an alternate captain in New York in each of the last two campaigns and was the front-runner to take over after Lee joined the Utah Mammoth in free agency.

He's led the Islanders in goals (99) and points (198) since joining the club, per the official release, and has scored at least 28 goals in five straight campaigns.

Horvat scored a team-leading 31 goals and recorded 57 points in 68 games in 2025-26 as the Islanders missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for a second straight season.

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Over 881 career games split between the Canucks and Islanders, he's managed 300 goals and 618 points, adding another 21 points in 34 postseason contests.

Horvat was also part of Canada's team at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, recording two goals in six games and helping his country win a silver medal. He has represented Canada on multiple other occasions, including at the 2025 IIHF World Championship, where he amassed eight points in just six games.

The last time the Islanders went without a captain was in 1996-97, after Patrick Flatley left the organization nearly 30 years ago. General manager Mathieu Darche told NHL.com's Dave McCarthy earlier this offseason that a captain could be named before the season began.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if we do, (but) there’s no rush on that front. We have a lot of leaders on our team. We have former captains, so I’m not worried about the leadership on our team, that’s for sure,” Darche said at the end of July.

Former St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn was another option; he captained the Blues squad that won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Former No. 1 overall pick and reigning Calder Trophy winner Matthew Schaefer was in the conversation as well, but he is still just 19 years old.

Horvat will now try to lead New York back to the postseason for the first time since 2023-24. The Isles open their campaign against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sept. 30.